General Surgery Residency Training Program
About General Surgery Residency
The General Surgery Residency Training Program at Lankenau Medical Center just outside of Philadelphia prides itself as being a “hybrid” program for general surgery training, which includes the best aspects of a superb “community” hospital—Lankenau is ranked in the top one percent of hospitals in the nation—and the best characteristics of an “academic” center—skilled, rigorous, evidence-based clinical teaching by the busiest and best clinicians.
Standing side by side with the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR), the Lankenau Surgical Residency Program is able to offer time in the research laboratory as an option for those residents interested in broadening their academic horizons, enhancing their preparation for surgical fellowships or testing their passion for an academic career.
HYBRID = best of COMMUNITY + best of ACADEMICS
The Surgical Residency at Lankenau Medical Center offers the complete spectrum of general surgery training, including the most advanced and updated techniques in minimally invasive and endovascular surgery. Each of the surgical specialty divisions provides ample clinical material and its program faculty is actively engaged in the teaching process.
As one of the busiest and most respected health care facilities in the Philadelphia region, Lankenau Medical Center is an ideal place to train in general surgery. Over 5,000 inpatient and 4,000 outpatient admissions to the Department of Surgery translate into nearly 3,000 general surgery cases, shared by only four categorical residents per year.
Our pride is the quality of the thinking we develop in an atmosphere of mutual respect and collegiality.
Faculty, Residents and Graduates
Learn more about the General Surgery Residency Program's Faculty, Residents and Graduates.
Curriculum
The five-year program in general surgery is designed to satisfy the requirements of the American Board of Surgery, including three full years devoted to the primary components of general surgery. At the completion of this program, the trainee will qualify for the examination of the American Board of Surgery and will be capable of performing as an independent surgical practitioner.
The training curriculum for general surgery is a rigorous course of study that has been meticulously developed in accordance with the guidelines of the Residency Review Commission.
Five Surgical Services
The General Surgery Residency Program at Lankenau is comprised of five general surgery services:
Deaver
- Vascular
- Endovascular
- Transplant
- Minimally invasive surgery
Engel
- Breast Surgery
- General Surgery
- Colorectal Surgery
- Minimally invasive surgery
Smink
- Surgical oncology
- Thoracic surgery/esophageal surgery
ACS/ICU/Trauma
- ACS/Trauma
- ICU
- Plastic Surgery/Microsurgery
Marks’s Colorectal
- Colon surgery
- Rectal surgery/TEM
- Minimally invasive surgery
Training design by year
PGY-1
The first twelve months of residency are spent in general surgery at our home base of Lankenau. The emphasis of the first postdoctoral year is perioperative patient management. A night float rotation shared by all PGY1s fosters maximum continuity of daytime care by residents.
PGY-2
The second postdoctoral year focuses on developing skills in the critical care of the surgical patient. Two months in General Surgery/Bariatric Surgery at Bryn Mawr Hospital a Hospital part of the Mainline Health, 1 month in Trauma at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. During the time spent in general surgery at Lankenau, the resident’s operative experience is advanced, and he/she serves as “midlevel” consult-resident as well as ICU experience.
PGY-3
Nine months in General Surgery at Lankenau, where the resident’s operative experience is Advanced on the Surgical Oncology, Colorectal and Vascular services. Two months in Pediatric Surgery at Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania, Two months General Surgery/Bariatric Surgery at Bryn Mawr Hospital.
PGY-4
Nine months are spent in General Surgery at Lankenau as a Senior or Chief Resident on one of the five general surgery services. An additional one month are spent as Senior Resident on the trauma service at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Two months are protected for elective rotations, as residents explore areas of focused surgical interest and opportunities for advanced fellowship.
PGY-5 Chief Year
The fifth postdoctoral year is spent as chief resident with leadership experience on each of the Five General Surgery Services at Lankenau. This significant surgical responsibility prepares the resident to be a competent technical surgeon, team leader, surgical role model, and teacher of students and residents.
Conference schedule
| Day | Time | Conference |
| Monday | No conferences | |
| Tuesday | 6:30–7:30 am | Mortality and Morbidity |
| Tuesday | 7:30–8:30 am | Grand Rounds |
| Tuesday | 4:30–5:30 pm | Harmonious Consultation Conference (September, November, January, March, May) third Tuesday unless otherwise noted |
| Tuesday & Friday | Noon–1:00 pm | Interdisciplinary Basic Science Conference (October, December, February, April) |
| Thursday | 6:30–8:30 am | Basic Science Conference & SCORE (every Thursday) |
| Chairman Conference (Weeks one and five) | ||
| Thursday | 7:30–8:30 am | Journal Club (Week two) |
| Thursday | 7:30–8:30 am | Radiology Conference (Week three) |
| Thursday | 7:30–8:30 am | Mock Orals (Week four) |
| Thursday | Noon–1:00 pm | Interdisciplinary Conferences:
|
| Thursday | 4:30–5:30 pm | Vascular Conference (every Thursday) |
| Friday | 6:45–7:30 am | Marks Conference—live from Cleveland Clinic (Week one) |
| Friday | 7:30–8:30 am | Friday Rectal Cancer Management Conference (Weeks one, three and five) |
Rotations
Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania - CHOP
Diagnosis and treatment of pediatric surgical conditions
- Prenatal consultations (for fetal abnormalities that may have been detected during pregnancy and may require neonatal surgery – operations on newborns)
- Pediatric trauma evaluations in the Emergency Department (ER) including child abuse consultations
- 24-hour surgical services through the ER and Level I Trauma Center
Penn Medicine Division of Traumatology and Surgical Critical Care
The Trauma Center at Penn is accredited by the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation as a Level 1, Regional Resource Trauma Center and is nationally and internationally recognized as a model program for other hospitals. In addition, there is a 24-bed dedicated Surgical Intensive Care Unit where trauma and surgical patients are cared for by board-certified intensivists. This unit provides 24/7, 365-day in-house coverage by a team of physicians and advanced practice nurses utilizing state-of-the-art technology, including VISICU, the computerized “virtual ICU.”
Bryn Mawr Hospital - Mainline Health
This is one of our other hospitals located about 4 miles down the road from Lankenau. The resident’s rotate here for their Bariatric Surgery experience. While rotating here they will also work closely with the Jefferson Surgical Residents.
Medical Student Rotations
We offer 3rd year Clerkship Rotations and MS4 Sub-I Rotations:
The 3rd year students the students will rotation on all 4 General Surgery Services
- Vascular/Transplant
- ACS/MIS
- Colorectal
- General and Surgical Oncology
MS4 Sub-I Rotations
We offer 1-2 spots from July to December. The MS4 can choose from any of the 4 rotations listed above.
For more information please contact
Program Coordinator- Yolanda Smith
Program Manager- Allison Stein
Contact us
To learn more about the General Surgery Residency Training Program contact Allison Stein at [email protected]
Application Requirements
The following criteria have been established as requirement for consideration into our program. We offer four categorical positions.
United States Medical Graduate applicant requirements
- Dean’s letter
- Three letters of recommendation
- Medical school transcript
- Personal statement
- Curriculum Vitae in ERAS format
- USMLE step 1 and 2 scores passing score of 225 or Above on First Attempt
- COMLEX Step 1 and 2 scores passing on first attempt
International Medical Graduate applicant requirements
- ECFMG certificate
- USMLE step 1 and 2 scores of 235 or higher with passing status on first attempt
- Graduation from medical school in the last three years
- 6 months of US Clinical experience
- Dean’s letter
- Three letters of recommendation
- Medical school transcript
- Personal statement
- Curriculum Vitae in ERAS format
- We sponsor J1 visas
Contact us
For more information, contact Allison Stein, program manager at [email protected].